Good Reflexes

This is my Saturday:

I took Buddy out, and fed him while the coffee was brewing.

The second he was done eating, he ran back upstairs to go back to bed.

I watched the news, and ate an english muffin with peanut butter. And coffee. Always coffee.

Then I was off to meet up with the group for our usual Saturday morning run.

Today I went back out for a couple of extra miles after we were finished. Next weekend is the Rhinebeck Half - I'm not worried about it, but I'm not feeling particularly fast right now either.

Also: it was humid this morning. It's been a long time since I had to deal with the unpleasant feeling of running in humidity. I didn't miss it.

Buddy was the happiest dog on earth this afternoon and lounged on the deck in the sun.

He even shared his couch with me for a little bit.

You need good reflexes to sit next to Buddy without getting licked.

We got Unbroken from redbox, so that's the plan for tonight. We listened to the audiobook, but I'm excited to see how the movie turned out.

Have you seen Unbroken? Have you read the book?

Practically a Habit

I was crabby when I got home today, so I decided to do my run rather than later.

I had mile repeats on the schedule for the day, so I did a quick change and hit the basement. I started off with the Lunge Matrix and some leg swings (that's 2 days, it's practically a habit now, right?). After a 1 mile warm up, I ran 3 mile repeats with 1/2 mile jogs in between followed by a 1 mile cool down - 6 miles total.

My overall pace wasn't anything too impressive (9:17 pace), but my miles were 7:54, 7:42 and 7:30! One of the podcasts I was listening to was saying that people tend to not slow down enough to actually recover during recovery periods, so I made an effort to really slow down in between miles.

My repeats were tough, but I felt strong today. It was a nice turn-around from my crabby morning!

Buddy has been up to his usual lounging today. He would really like it if we would stop taking pictures of him.

The pollen around here is SO bad right now. My car has a yellow hue to it every morning, and this was the crystal clear view out the windshield this morning.

Pretty, no?

Oiselle Roga Shorts and a Lazy Sunday

It was absolutely beautiful here on Sunday. Buddy and I hung out on the deck with some iced tea and my kindle for a while. It doesn't seem like too long ago that I was wearing my jacket to go running, now I'm relaxing on the deck in a sun dress!

Buddy is psyched for spring weather.

I actually had to make him go back inside to cool off at one point, he was just laying there, panting like crazy. He won't drink any water I bring outside for him, so he gets sent inside for his own good.

I had an easy 5 miles on the plan for the day, so I decided to test out my new shorts. The shorts are really lightweight and super comfortable, I really like them! That being said, there was Body Glide involved to prevent chafing. It's not the short's fault though, the problem seems to be my thighs.

It may have motivated me to do some strength training to tone some areas that constant running doesn't tone. Of course, I've made such declarations before and have yet to stick to any strength training program, so there's that.

Why is strength training so boring?

Heavy Legs and Shorts Shopping

I have a special request for the universe: please leave my toes alone, specifically those on my left foot. In the last few days I have dropped the dog gate on one toe and shredded the cuticle, buddy scratched one to the point of bleeding, and I stubbed another on the coffee table. I'm running out of toes, so please, give it a rest.

I did my run on Thursday in my Altras to give my poor toes some extra room. 4 easy treadmill miles.

On Saturday, I planned on doing my long run like I did last week - half with the group, and half after on my own. It was a beautiful morning, clear skies and about 50 degrees. And then when we started running, my legs felt like they weighed a couple hundred pounds apiece. I had to push pretty much the entire run to keep up with the group.

I was feeling a bit better by the end (around 6.5 miles in) and was trying to convince myself to go out for a few extra miles, when one of the guys offered to go back out with me. Up until last year I was pretty much a solo runner, and I never realized how much easier it is to run with people. We did another 4 miles, bringing me up to about 10.5. I was planning on 13, so I didn't quite hit that goal, but considering I wanted to stop after mile 2, I'm happy with 10.5.

The funny thing is that my running buddy had run before meeting up with the group and was heading back out for a few more miles after I went home. When I left he was almost at 17 miles for the day - and he isn't training for anything!

I went on a running shorts shopping expedition in the afternoon. I have a pair of shorts I use for treadmill runs, but they're not something I want to run in outside (they're short and spandex). I have always had problems with looser shorts riding up and driving me insane, but I also know that I won't get through marathon training this summer trying to run in my capris.

After trying on pretty much every single pair of shorts in the store, I picked up a pair of Oiselle Rogas. I'll let you know what I think once I get a chance to test them out.

I'll leave you with some springy pictures from the neighborhood:

The lonely white flower from a couple weeks ago has some company now.

Do you have running shorts that you love?

Tuesday Randomness

I have a bit of a random post for you today.

Monday and today I had a couple of easy 4 milers, which I did on the treadmill because I'm lazy. The irony of being a lazy distance runner is not lost on me. My next half is apparently in 18 days (I just bothered to check), so I'm trying to stick to my training plan even on my lazy days.

Buddy is now perfectly happy to go out on the back deck by himself. He goes where the sunshine goes - as long as we don't wander too far out of eyesight, he's good.

Tom has decided that he wants a barn when we finally move, so we went to a place in Connecticut that we refer to "the barn store."

Some of them are pretty neat looking.

It's officially, officially springtime - the landscapers came and mowed the lawn on Monday. I like the stripes.

Um, don't buy these. I ate them all really quickly. It's a problem I have.

And these are kind of weird. You can always depend on me to test out the new flavors of everything for you :)

Buddy is one spoiled pup. Tom moved his bed into the sunshine this afternoon. Buddy was in heaven.

And some pretty clouds to wrap up my randomness. I swear one of these days I'll have a normal post again.

Watermelon Bumblebee

Some days, I just don't like speed work. It's hard, and I'm lazy.

I had a tempo run on the plan for today, though it ended up being something closer to a progression run. I was dragging my feet for a bit and used a combination of angry music (Linkin Park) and Gilmore Girls to get through my 6 miles.

I did a 1 mile warm up, followed by four faster "tempo" miles and a 1 mile cool down.

These were my fast miles:
1. 8:27
2. 8:20
3. 8:20
4. 8:00

Not too shabby.

This little flower was pretty cute hanging out on its own by a tree. It's only about 6 inches tall.

And some requisite Buddy pictures:

I couldn't turn down this sherbet today - Tom says it tastes like watermelon bubble gum.

That reminds me of high school choir, anyone else learn the "watermelon bumblebee" trick for when you forget the words to a song? 

Go With It

Friday morning I didn't have anywhere to be until noon, so I tackled the dishes that we (yet again) let pile up. Then I was struck by a super random urge to clean more things, so I decided to just go with it. These things don't happen often, so I try to take advantage when they do.

I cleaned the kitchen counter - I actually moved things and cleaned under them (I know, it's madness over here). Then I did some vacuuming and dusting and swept. From the amount of hair I swept up, you would think both buddy and I would be bald (for a short hair dog, Buddy sheds an impressive amount).

We had group nap time (the boys napped, I just relaxed with the pooch) in the afternoon. Buddy is the best lounging companion.

The Rivertown Runners (my weekend running buddies) had a brewery meet up Friday night, so Tom and I went and enjoyed some free beer. It's always funny to see people in non-running clothes. We don't always recognize each other!

This morning I was up bright and early to hit the trails. The weather was just about perfect, sunny and mid-50s. I did not feel like running when I woke up - my cold is really lingering and I had a headache - but about a mile or two in, I was so glad I went. It ended up being a really nice run!

We ran our usual 7 miles, my watch calling it 6.58 miles at a 9:10 pace.

Buddy hung out on the deck with me when I got home.

A nice run, coffee, and sunshine - an excellent start to the weekend!

Running Outside and a Buddy Selfie

I have spent so many runs on my treadmill lately that it feels weird to run outside. It was really pretty out Monday afternoon, so after I dragged my feet for a while, I ran a few miles around the neighborhood. 

It felt hot!

My legs were still a little sore from the trail race on Saturday (mostly the outside of my right shin, which is random), so I wasn't breaking any speed records, but it was a decent run. It always feels like a bigger accomplishment to actually run outside on my own. My laziness is really impressive, and it's much easier to just run on the treadmill.

The yard is getting green again, and the flowers are starting to bloom!

Today was cloudy, so I didn't feel guilty about running on the treadmill. 3 easy miles followed by some Post-Run Power Exercises from the Foodie Runner (she has a half marathon PR of 1:21:23, so I feel like she knows what she's talking about). I've been trying to do these exercises after easy runs lately, and I have lofty goals of trying to actually do some strength training/cross training again (this is a never ending goal, as I have not found a way to actually stick to it).

This is as close to a Buddy selfie as I've managed. He always turns away from the camera or tries to lick my face.

Trail Race Recap

Saturday morning I was up bright and early to head to the Blue Mountain Reservation for a trail race.

 I rode up with one of my weekend running buddies and we got there with more than enough time to check in and pick up our bibs. The race was so small, we probably would have been fine showing up about 15 minutes before the start.

I don't know the official number of runners, but there was a 5k and a 10k that were capped at 150 between them. I would guess the actual number was somewhere closer to 75 or 80 runners.

We spent a good 10 minutes watching a guy try to fix the start/finish line banner after the wind snapped one of the zip ties that was holding it up. It was a very complicated fix that involved a picnic table, two sticks and some rope. It was pretty entertaining.

The race started a few minutes late to allow some stragglers to get their bibs, and then we were off through the muddy start line. The trails were really beautiful, but definitely more trail-like than most of us are used to. There were loose rocks, tree roots, a couple of very steep climbs (and descents), and lots of mud and water. The man in charge declared that it was "the cheapest mud run you'll ever find."

The course was a 5k loop, so those of us running the 10k ran the loop twice. I'm not a huge fan of running the same hills more than once, but it was generally a fun course.

There were plenty of post-race snacks and drinks, though the promised REI branded swag turned out to be a pair of shoe laces and some lip balm. I don't know that I would call that swag, but with a registration fee of $15, I guess I can't complain.

I started my watch at our official "everyone count down from 10" start and stopped it a few yards after the finish line. It came up with 5.85 miles in 58:00. The clock at the finish was right about at 1:00:00, so I'm not really sure what time to claim. It wasn't chip timed, and who knows how accurate their course measurement was (and there weren't mile markers).

It's ok though, the point was to run a fun race someplace new. You can't really compare trail race times to normal race times anyway, we were all running a minute and a half to two minutes slower than our usual pace.

My shoes may be dry by now, but they could definitely use a run through the rain to clean up a bit.

I spent Saturday night babysitting. The three year old I was watching told me I was bad at puzzles. Thanks kid.

Today was amazing weather. It was sunny and warm! We finally brought the cushions up for the patio furniture, and Buddy and I had a nice morning lounging on the back deck.

I just finished reading Wild. It was pretty good, though I never had a hard time putting it down. I want to see how the movie turned out, I've heard mixed reviews.

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Spring Weather is Hard to Dress For

I took this week easy. I did a couple of easy runs on the treadmill, but otherwise haven't done much since the race last weekend.

This morning I was up bright and early to meet up with the group for our trail run. It was in the 40s, but windy, so I wasn't sure what to wear. I took buddy out to do a weather check and decided to wear capris, a tank, a half zip and my smart wool headband. 

By mile 2 the half zip was tied around my waist and by mile 4 the headband was looped through one of the arms of the half zip. Spring weather is hard to dress for. 

We were moving at a pretty good pace, though the hills reminded me that it hasn't been that long since West Point. It was good to catch up with my running buddies since I hadn't seen most of them for a few weeks. We were all pretty excited because we were back to our regular trails - the snow is finally gone! We ran 6.6 miles at around a 9:16 pace according to my TomTom. Everyone insists that the run is 7 miles, and my GPS always comes up short. Blame it on the hills.

This afternoon I did laundry (1 load of running gear and 1 of normal clothes). It still needs to be folded, but I'm counting it as a win. 

My computer is getting slower every day. I actually wrote most of this post on my phone because it was faster.

Buddy has been in absolute heaven the last few days since it has actually been sunny out. He just sleeps in the sun and periodically gets up to stretch.

And in other exciting news: I finally found this ice cream!

Um, yes please. I'll take one for after every long run please. That totally balances out, right? :) Anyway, it's good stuff, you should track some down.

I hope you're having a good weekend so far!

That's a Lie

It's taper week! That means I have less miles to run and more fidgety energy to burn - a dangerous combination. I also have a cold, which isn't related, but it's still true.

Let's take a minute to review the absolute terror that is the West Point elevation chart.

Note that it is in meters. That means the course climb is actually 1,437 feet. Remind me why I signed up for this race?

I decided that since it is my first race of the year, and will most likely result in death by hills anyway, I'm going to run by feel and not worry too much about time.

That's a lie of course, I will care a little bit about time.

Today was an easy 3 miles on the treadmill. I know I need to get outside one of these days, but my laziness is pretty impressive.

Not as impressive as Buddy's, but still.

Things are getting springier around here. 

It's even supposed to hit 60 on Thursday! And it's supposed to rain. You win some, you lose some.

What's the hilliest race you've run?